USDA Agricultural Trade Promotion Program Grant

Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities:  The ATP is a cost–share program that is designed to reimburse non-profit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, non-profit state regional trade groups (SRTGs), U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies that conduct approved foreign market development activities and have suffered damages as a result of tariffs imposed on U.S. agricultural products in 2018/2019.  For–profit U.S.commercial entities that do not exceed 300 percent of the small business size standards established for their particular industry at 13 CFR 121.201 may participate in a branded program through an ATP Participant.  Although small for–profit, nonprofit, and government entities will receive full consideration under the ATP, FAS gives priority to organizations that have the broadest producer representationand affiliated industry participation of the commodity being promoted.  Information, including a link to the program regulations, is available on the FAS website at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/agricultural-trade-promotion-program-atp

Under the ATP, FAS enters into agreements with eligible Participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities, including activities that address existing or potential non–tariff barriers to trade.  Financial assistance under the ATP is made available on a competitive basis, and applications are reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein and in the ATP regulations.  All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration.

Available Funding forthe NOFO:  FAS has received an additional $100 million in FY 2019 ATP funding and intends to allocate that funding against the applications received under the initial program announcement deadlineo f November 2, 2018.

Eligible Applicants:  To participate in the ATP, an applicant must be a non-profit U.S. agricultural trade organization, an SRTG, a U.S.agricultural cooperative, or a state government agency that can demonstrate damages suffered (reduced sales, lost revenue, decreased market share, etc.) asa result of tariffs imposed on U.S. agricultural products.  For–profit U.S. commercial entities that do not exceed 300 percent of the small business size standards established for their particular industry at 13 CFR 121.201 may participate in a brandedprogram through an ATP Participant.

FAS will allocate the funding in this announcement against the applications received under the initial program announcement deadline of November 2, 2018. No new ATP applications will be accepted under this announcement, nor will applications that were fully funded during the firstround of funding provided for this program be considered under this announcement. USDA makes no commitment to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards regardless of whether or at what level program funding for FY 2019 is provided.

Other Submission Requirements and Information: Applications should include a justification for funding assistance from the program – an explanation of what specifically could not be accomplished without federal funding assistance and why participating organizations are unlikely to carry out the project without such assistance. This justification must be based on the portion of your application submitted under the initial program announcement deadline of November 2, 2018 that was not funded.